Emerald Embers | Ninjago Greenflame OneShots

Breaks - comfort

Not in the best place mentally rn, so have this as 1. A way to make up for my lack of FMP updates, and 2. Something that'll hopefully help me feel a bit better abt myself.
Enjoy!

Third Person POV

Kai was slouched halfway down the loveseat in the apartment living room. He found himself once again idly doomscrolling until his boyfriend came home.

His eyes drifted to the clock across the room every once in a while, when he'd try and focus on its ticking for as long as possible. Then of course, he'd go right back on his phone, all the while forgetting to actually check the time.

Regardless, Lloyd should be home soon. It was almost noon after all, his classes for the day should be over.

Kai in part, thanked whatever higher power there might be for giving him a break from his own exams coming up. But he also resented them for not giving his Greenie the same chance.

It didn't matter much though, he figured. Lloyd was always the more responsible guy- the most responsible person he knew, next to his sister.

From the day they moved in together, Kai knew. Lloyd could handle most anything- that's what he said, at least. He seemed to manage school, studying and housework better than anyone else did.

Hell, at this point, he'd even say that Lloyd never took time for himself.

...wait-

Kai paused.

He sat up, turned over his phone and tried to jog his memory for any moment where Lloyd gave himself a break.

He did do alot of work of course- he had to, taking two courses at once for very different jobs he wanted when they graduated.

But the more Kai thought on it, even that itself was Lloyd pushing himself beyond the norm.

Even on the best of days, he had noticed the eyebags. The slow responses, little to no affection most of the time, and talk of almost nothing but work...

It all made sense- far later than it should have.

How did he not see this before?

A comically-long door creaking brought Kai out of his mind.

He shoved his concern aside for the moment and turned to face the sound.

"Welcome back, Greenie," He called out, almost reflexively at this point with a 'totally-not-stressing-about-ur-wellbeing' smile- the best he could manage.

"How was the- test..."

Kai's words were lost and his smile fell away as Lloyd shut the door.

He practically fell back onto it, and with a heavy sigh, he let his bag fall off his shoulders, on the floor with a loud thud.

Lloyd's eyes weren't so visible, his hair was a mess in front of his face, but Kai still saw the exhaustion in them from across the room.

He looked up suddenly, only then registering what Kai asked him, giving a light shrug. The smile he wore didnt reach his tired eyes. It was clearly forced and ever-faltering, eventually falling away as he looked to the floor.

Kai stood up, his expression full of worry and guilt. "Lloyd?"

"I-" anything else the blonde said was lost in the sound of him hitting the floor.

Kai raced over to him just as Lloyd raised a shaky thumbs up, as if he could fake being okay at this point.

But still, Kai took his hand and knelt down in front of him.